NEW DELHI: Lance Naik
Hanamanthappa Koppad, the lone survivor of the February 3 Siachen avalanche
that claimed the lives of nine soldiers till Thursday, breathed his last at the
Army RR Hospital in Delhi. An Army statement confirmed that he passed away at
11.45 am on Thursday morning. Earlier, the bulletin by Army Hospital had said
that his condition was deteriorating and he was not responding to medication.

“Sorry to inform everyone that Lance
Naik Hanumanthappa is no more. He breathed his last at 11.45 am today,” an
official said.

Earlier, a statement issued by
the Army had said, “Braveheart Lance Naik Hanamanthappa continues to remain
extremely critical with worsening multiple organ dysfunction. His circulatory
shock is now refractory to all drugs in maximum permissible doses and his
kidneys remain non-functional. His pneumonia has worsened and the blood
clotting disorder shows no sign of reversal despite blood component support.

He is on maximal clotting
disorder shows no sign of reversal despite blood component support. He is on
maximal life support with aggressive ventilation and dialysis. He has slipped
into a deeper state of coma.”